Sun-soaked coastal county is America's fastest-growing, as locals fear quaint southern way of life is on verge of extinction

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:40, 13 April 2026 | Updated: 16:43, 13 April 2026 A South Carolina coastal county has quickly become America's fastest-growing, as locals fear their Southern way of life is at risk of extinction.  Jasper County, situated comfortably near the water boasting sunny weather and low taxes, has steadily attracted more and more outsiders to settle down in the area in recent years.  Since 2020, the county saw a nearly 10,000 person boom of residents, increasing the local population by roughly 34 percent, according to Census Bureau data.  The new paradise seekers haven't exactly been shy about where they're from, according to the New York Times. Newcomers have been seen sporting New York Yankees banners, Ohio state flags, and even a mailbox made to look like a Dallas Cowboys helmet.   The surge of proud newcomers has left long-time locals fearing that their small-town southern lifestyle will quickly disappear.  Residents told the NYT they were worried the population boom would put significant strain on traffic and health care, and expressed concern about what kind of environmental impacts a continued resident surge would bring.   Reginald White, 58, was born and raised in the area, but told the NYT that 'the serenity is gone' from his hometown. The boom in population has been heavily influenced by the county's close proximity to tourist hotspots, including Hilton Head Island just a half-hour drive away.  Jasper County, South Carolina, was named America's fastest-growing county in the nation, as locals express concerns about the boom in population straining the area Jasper County's population saw nearly 10,000 more residents since 2020  Concerns of traffic, health care strains and environmental impacts were cited to the outlet by residents who are looking to slow down the quick growth in population Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina also lie nearby as islands peppered with golf courses line Beaufort County, South Carolina.   Barbie Henderson, 70, told the NYT she was influenced to move to Jasper County with her husband due to its closeness to Hilton Head Island, where her family used to vacation frequently.  At the time, there was little activity in the area but she had hoped for more development as the years went on.  In the 1980s, Hilton Head Island flourished with tourism after a bridge was built connecting the island to the mainland.  The growing buzz had Jasper County officials start working on a way to keep as much the area's natural land as possible while growth continued, the outlet reported.  Andrew Fulghum, the county's administrator since 2002, told the NYT that he had been working with county leaders to keep much of the growth contained to two areas. Thus far, most of the population growth had been focused on Hardeeville.  Harry Williams, Hardeeville's mayor, supported the flourishing population and said the growth offered new job opportunities, which in turn helps support neighboring islands.  'Our goal is not to get to 100,000 people, although that may happen someday,' Williams said. 'Our goal is to bring job opportunities to our young people.'  The boom in population has been heavily influenced by the county's close proximity to tourist hotspots, including Hilton Head Island (above), just a half-hour drive away Harry Williams, Hardeeville's mayor (pictured) supported the flourishing population and said the growth offered new job opportunities, which in turn helps support neighboring islands But Mayor Williams's lofty population goal hasn't been welcomed by all, as one user on Facebook commented that 'Hilton Head is getting its own trailer park' in response to a new housing development.  Another sarcastically wrote: 'Oh goody, more traffic!'  'They're going to clear cut every tree in the county. All of its character will be gone and what will be left - rooftops and roads,' a third said.  Camika Beaton, who is running for Jasper County Council in the Robertville Township, said that the commentary highlighted a real issue in the area.  'Jasper County being the fastest-growing county in the nation is something we should be proud of - but we must also be honest about what comes with growth,' Beaton wrote.  'Growth is happening rapidly... and infrastructure is struggling to keep up.... Growth should not happen at the expense of our residents.' Beaton also stressed the importance of roads, drainage systems and schools being properly prepared before large developments are approved and that water and sewer capacity are developed in tandem with the growing population.  Environmental fears were included in local concerns for the growing population, as a lawsuit was brought against the county over the rezoning of 200 acres of land for a sand mine (pictured: a rice field in Hardeeville, SC.)  'I support smart tools, like the proposed concurrency measures... that allow governments to pause or deny development when infrastructure is not ready. That's not anti-growth - that's responsible leadership,' Beaton wrote.  'At the same time, we must make sure growth benefits all of Jasper County, not just one area. While Hardeeville is booming, we must also invest in communities across the county, including Robertville Township, so no one is left behind.' The fear felt by Jasper County locals had apparently been shared by residents of nearby Beaufort County.  'Good luck to y'all. Beaufort County used to be the fastest growing county but they ran out of room to build. Now we have traffic nightmares. If a builder finds a 2 acre postage stamp that can't fit a community, they build 3 story apartment buildings. Each apartment means at least 1 more car on the road... STOP,' one Facebook user said.  Fears surrounding the booming population also encompass the areas' rich wildlife.  Grant McClure, the south coast office director for the Coastal Conservation League, said: 'The development threats are imminent.' A lawsuit was recently brought against the county by the South Carolina Environmental Law Project over the rezoning of around 200 acres of land for a sand mine.  (Stock image) Local officials remain concerned about the lack of affordable housing and rising costs that come with wealthy transplants, thus pricing out natives of the area Fulghum told the outlet that 'it's sort of a necessary evil,' as the materials to construct new homes for the growing population are needed.  'If you have growth, you're going to have those resources extracted from other areas,' Fulghum added.  In 2024, voters approved a one percent sales tax intended to generate $376 million for transportation infrastructure and $94 million for land and water protection, the outlet reported.  But local officials remain concerned about the lack of affordable housing and rising costs that come with wealthy transplants, thus pricing out natives of the area.  Guillermina Romero, 47, immigrated to the United States from Mexico decades ago and settled in Jasper County five years ago.  The mother of two is slowly finding the area unaffordable.  'All this growth, but the pay is the same and the rent is higher, and it feels like you can't do anything about it,' she said.   The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.